Gender Differences in Behavior Essay -- Child Observation Essays

In order to determine the grammatical gender differences in behavior in boys and girls, I observed seven activities for ten minutes, taking a total of five observations of the numbers of boys and girls each activity. This experiment took place on October 9th from 4 oclock to 4 ten at County Elementary School. I performed this experiment in the schools After School Program because having a smaller sample size is easier to keep count and observe. From the beginning of this experiment, there was a total of twenty-two boys and thirty girls, age ranging from six to eleven. Seven activities I save were basketball, four squ ares, jump rope, sliding, swinging, talking, and tetherball. According to Bjorklund, the process of incorporating gender roles and values is referred to as gender identification. This is important, since this allows children to label, behave, and perform the appropriate gender role. Factors that contribute to gender identification are gender constancy, kno wing that a persons gender does not change despite physical changes and gender stereotypes. Once children are able to make gender constancy, it would help them know that there are certain things boys do and certain things girls do. This accomplishment leads to gender schemas, an interrelated networks of mental association representing information or so the sexes (430-431). According to Martin and Halversons model, developed gender schemas help children label objects and activities that are for their gender or for the other gender (431). For example, a boy knows that trucks are for them opus Barbie dolls are for girls. In my observation, I have noticed that the children have already developed gender schemas because they were in activities that we... ...hemata that would help them learn how to label, behave, and perform the appropriate gender role. They used tools such as imitation and emulation to help them get toward their desired goal. I also learned that there is definitely an aggression and contention difference in what activities boys and girls plays. Activities that are considered less aggressive, such as jump roping, sliding, swinging, and socializing is considered a female activities because there is neither aggression nor competitions evoked from these activities. speckle activities such as basketball, four square, and tetherball are labeled as male activities because of the aggression and competition it evokes. Works CitedBjorklund, David F. Social Cognition. Childrens Thinking Cognitive Development and psyche Differences. Belmont, CA Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. 424-38. Print.